1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an antimicrobial ultraviolet light system for refrigerator sanitation, and more particularly to a plurality of connectable ultraviolet lights for use with a refrigerator, for the purpose of reducing bacterial growth and maintaining a sanitary environment inside the refrigerator compartment, wherein power is supplied from an electrical household outlet via a thin ribbon-type power cable routed from the refrigerator interior to the exterior through the door seal.
2. Description of Related Art
A refrigerator is a well known appliance intended to cool the contents thereof below ambient temperature. The internal temperature, which is typically maintained slightly above the freezing point of water, prevents bacterial growth from spoiling foodstuffs. Without refrigeration, naturally-occurring bacteria begin to affect food and cause it to spoil. The constant cooling effect of the thermally insulated refrigerator allows for the increased lifespan of food products, as bacterial reproduction and growth is reduced in colder temperatures. Eventually, however, bacteria will spoil food. Ultraviolet light has been known, in various applications, to prevent such spoliation by destroying some of the bacterial organisms. UV light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV. It is so named because the spectrum consists of electromagnetic waves with frequencies higher than those that humans identify as the color violet.
The use of ultraviolet (“UV”) light to disinfect the internal compartment of refrigerators has been the topic of various patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,622,409 issued to Stirnkorb, discloses a plurality of small, low current UV lights which utilize the standard circuitry of the refrigerator to power the UV light source. U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,564 issued to Comeau, II, discloses a UV lamp installed in the top portion of the refrigerator and reflective lining throughout to reflect the UV radiation throughout the compartment. U.S. Pat. No. 6,477,853 issued to Khorran, discloses a UV system with a single UV source attached to the internal sidewall of the refrigerator to radiate light to the entire compartment, or in the alternative, provide UV exposure to a limited compartment. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0260341 issued to Meyvis, discloses an air cleaner for the internal compartment of a refrigerator which utilizes a UV filter to reduce pathogens in the re-circulated air. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0307818 issued to Min et al, discloses a refrigerator with UV light irradiation components to eradicate low-level light from the storage containers contained therein to promote freshness of foodstuffs.
While refrigerators have been widely used to maintain freshness of foods stored therein, and several UV light devices for use in connection with refrigerators have been disclosed in the prior art, none adequately address the issue of food spoliation. The systems of the background art fail to provide ease of installation, adaptable light device configurations, suitable power supply integration, and inadequate control systems.
As a result of such limitations, the systems of the background art have achieved limited acceptance and commercial success. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for further innovation and advancement in the art of providing UV light sources that provide full and complete distribution of UV light throughout the refrigerator compartment to promote freshness of stored foods while providing simple and effective power supply integration.